About Us
The one time you actually don’t mind being photobombed!
INTRODUCTION
Yoga is the best gift that we have received in this lifetime. It has made us healthier, happier, stronger, calmer, wiser and more confident. We feel younger, more powerful and energetic. We are also much more resilient and able to face life’s challenges with fortitude.
WE TEACH YOGA FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT WE WANT EVERYONE TO RECEIVE THESE BENEFITS!
We have received over 700 hours of formal yoga teacher training. Our first qualification was in 2009 with The Bushey School of Yoga, run by Ellen Lee, who is also the Chair of the Independent Yoga Network.
We subsequently qualified as Gold Standard Teachers (2014) and Platinum Standard (Advanced) Teachers (2016) with Chi Kri Yoga, founded by Neil Patel.
In 2017 Chi Kri gave us the unique and unprecedented honour of training the next generation of teachers to the Chi Kri Gold Standard. 23 beautiful souls graduated in March 2019, after receiving more than 20 months of intense training. We are very pleased to say that many of them are now successfully sharing the joys of yoga amongst their students!
We have also played an active role in spreading yoga in the community, from participation in the United Nations International Yoga Day events, to frequent appearances on Zee Companion, transmitted live to Zee TV’s entire European audience.
The one time you actually don’t mind being photobombed!
A few words from our mentor, Neil Patel – Founder, Director and Grandmaster at Chi Kri Yoga:
“Having had the pleasure of teaching, training and working with Miti and Mehul Shah for over a decade, I can say that not only do they understand yoga incredibly well, but, more importantly, they exhibit some of greatest characteristics of the great Vedic subject itself:
Miti is a compassionate and creative soul, whose kind demeanour belies her true strength and intelligence. She is ever-ready to show love and authenticity to whomever comes under her wing.
And Mehul, quite evidently has a great mind, wit and high levels of natural Shakti (energy). But that also shrouds the fact he is a deeply caring and unerringly faithful man, who is connected to God by way of the pure and true nature of the soul that he is.
Any student fortunate enough to come into the yogic home of these two dedicated yogis will have found their local spiritual refuge. Professionally and academically speaking, I have trained them for at least 7 years and they continue to thirst for knowledge, experiences and practises of yoga which will improve their teaching further.
I trusted them with dozens of Chi Kri Yoga trainees in 2017, and they got to work and produced 23 more highly qualified Chi Kri Yoga graduates for our mission! It was an incredible moment and a phenomenal achievement; and the greatest evidence of their ability as yoga instructors.
I am sure that there is going to be many more inspiring moments such as these to come from both these passionate, studious and kind souls!”
Neil describes Miti:
“Miti Shah is one of the most naturally gifted people I’ve ever met. Her ability to cover all aspects of human nature is quite astonishing and truly represents what Chi Kri is about, and therefore makes her an incredible yoga teacher.
She has the ability to be precise, technical and exacting on one hand, yet to be warm, nurturing and compassionate on the other – and she can flip between the two at ease! Her level of detail in understanding yoga postures is exceptional, and her creative approach to yoga matches this mental self-mastery.
I find myself time and time again, almost by default, being inclined to recommend Miti to people interested in yoga as she simply is a Natural Choice for any growing yoga aspirant. Students of Miti will not be disappointed by her genuine, grounded and generous approach to teaching, a true gem of the yoga world!”
Neil describes Mehul:
“Wisdom, humility, respect and knowledge all come to mind when I think of Mehul! I had the privilege of both teaching and training Mehul in yoga for many years, and he always displayed the highest and most consistent standards in everything!
His personality is balanced well between intelligence and joy, and I’ve seen him create some wonderful classes and heard many, many great things about him as a teacher! It is rare to meet such a trusting, faithful and steadfast human being, and with the skills of yoga on his side, he is bound to be an inspirational figure to any aspiring yogi. I have trusted Mehul many times within Chi Kri to carry on important tasks and teachings for me, and he does so with confidence and ease, showing his self-control and wisdom.
If someone is looking for an all-round yoga teacher who can deliver physical and verbal instructions clearly, explain the benefits perfectly, and be attentive and kind to each and everyone in the class, then Mehul is quite simply beyond comparison!”
Mr Neil K. Patel, Founder, Director and Grandmaster at Chi Kri Yoga.
Graduation Day for our Proud and Happy Chi Kri Gold Standard Trainees!
Graduation Day for our Proud and Happy Chi Kri Gold Standard Trainees!
MEET MITI
MITI
miti@yogawithmandm.com
07988440365
/miti.shah.287
/yogawithmiti
I have been practising yoga for over 20 years and it has now become a way of life for me. My classes are very special to me and so are all my students. My students are cared for and treated with utmost respect. They are not judged, but listened and guided through their personal growth with compassion.
Each session is different, incorporating asanas, sequences, pranayama, meditation, relaxation and spirituality.
MORE ABOUT MITI
SEEDS PLANTED IN SUNNY MOMBASA
I was lucky enough to be born into a spiritual family and so some of the philosophy of yoga (as I know now) was being embedded in me while I was growing up. As a young teenager I had a special interest in meditation, yoga, (etc.) and had ventured into many organisations, including the Theosophical Society, Transcendental Meditation and The Brahma Kumaris, to name a few. I meditated regularly and religiously every day.
My journey into the physical side of yoga started a few years after I moved over to the UK from my place of birth in Mombasa, Kenya. This move was in 1984 – a good number of years ago!
It was the beginning of a new era: a new country, a new culture, a new husband (still with the same one, by the way!!) and a completely new lifestyle. Having been uprooted from strong foundations in Kenya, it took a while for me to get accustomed to the new lifestyle and weather.
Unfortunately, I lost touch with that spiritual side while I was getting used to and coping with the new way of life.
In 1991 our elder daughter was born. As a young mother, I was finding it difficult to cope with all the new demands. To get a much needed break and keep my sanity, I decided to join a local gym where they were offering yoga classes. And this is where I met my first teacher in the UK, Ellen Lee of the Bushey School of Yoga. As I attended more and more classes, I noticed that I felt much better after a class than I did before.
HOW DID I BENEFIT FROM YOGA?
The yoga classes always helped me to relax and lifted up my spirits. They became a good tonic for the week to keep me going.
HEALTH – STRENGTH – STAMINA – SUPPLENESS
Not only was I feeling better mentally, I also started becoming stronger physically with an obvious change in my flexibility. There was more stamina to go through the days.
Over time though I was getting older by physical age, I was feeling younger in the body.
My immunity was becoming stronger – I hardly suffered from common ailments like colds and coughs.
SUBTLE CHANGES
Along with the physical changes, subtle changes started taking place. I was becoming calmer, more focused, more productive and also a lot more conscientious. Mentally I was feeling a lot stronger.
TRAINING AS A TEACHER
There is much more to yoga than one would think. For us it has become a way of life and we continue and try hard to live by the principals of yoga.
Having found tremendous benefits from our own personal practice, it felt only right to share these with people we encounter in this world. So Mehul and I both took up the offer to do a Teacher Training Course with Ellen in 2007 and graduated in March 2009.
We both started teaching in April 2009 and have been teaching since then. That wasn’t the end; in fact, it was the beginning of the journey of learning and sharing what we know about this vast and beautiful subject.
YOGA – THE GREATEST GIFT
Yoga has been the greatest GIFT that we have received. And a gift that we would love to share with you.
YOGA CAN HELP YOU TOO
Are you also feeling the stresses of getting the right work/life balance just like me before I started doing yoga?
- Would you like to improve your fitness or maintain your general health and well being?
- Would you like to feel younger?
- Would you like to feel more confident and wiser?
- Would you like to enjoy the tremendous benefits that Yoga has to offer?
Then all you need to do is just take that first step.
Just as a flower needs sunlight and water to grow…
The Soul needs the right nurturing, wisdom and guidance to slowly unfold…
My classes are very special and so are all of my students. I pride myself on being trustworthy, empathetic and a very good listener. As a student, you will be cared for and treated with the utmost respect. You will not be judged, but listened to and guided through your personal growth with compassion.
I invite you to let us help you unify with your body, mind and soul, and let your wisdom, strength and beauty within unfold.
Namaste.
MEET MEHUL
MEHUL
07931717788
/MehulShah8
/yogawithmehul
In 2012 I quit my highly successful career in Information Technology that spanned over 23 years so that I could be fully committed to teaching yoga. Prior to that I conducted research in Physics at Imperial College London, from where I have been awarded a PhD for my contributions to the field of Laser Spectroscopy.
My style of teaching is strong, energetic and powerful, balanced out with compassion and softness. I look to bring out the best in you each time, helping you to find your edge and grow from there.
MORE ABOUT MEHUL
‘YOGA IS JUST A GENTLE FORM OF STRETCHING’ – MYTH SHATTERED!
I had already turned 40 by the time I attended my first yoga class!
That was nearly 20 years ago. Back then, I was working as an I.T. professional in large corporates, where there was the constant pressure to deliver more and more in shorter and shorter timescales. We were also busy bringing up our two young daughters, so you can imagine just how stressful our lives were.
Miti had already discovered how beneficial yoga was in helping her cope with the stress. She tried very hard to get me into yoga but I resisted, preferring instead to go to the gym. Even though I didn’t really enjoy working out there, I knew I needed to exercise, so I went. At that time, I thought that yoga was just a slow and gentle form of stretching, something I would find too slow and boring.
But Miti didn’t give up on me. Every now and then she would ask if I was ready to go to a yoga class with her. Eventually, I caved in and went. Ellen Lee, whose Classical Yoga classes Miti had been attending for a number of years, welcomed me and made me feel at home straight away.
That was a wake up call, as I realised that there was much more to yoga than just stretching. During that class I felt muscles I never even knew I had, found myself breaking into a bit of a sweat, and experienced a profound sense of relaxation and peace.
There was no turning back from that point onwards. My yoga mat quickly became my sanctuary, the place I would turn to after a hard day’s work at the office or whenever I needed to recharge. A session of yoga would always melt away all the tension, release bundles of energy and lift my spirits.
BENEFITS OF YOGA
Like with all skilled activities, you begin to get better with practice and start to notice improvements. Here I am giving just 3 examples that compare the ‘before’ with the ‘after’ I started doing yoga:
- I wasn’t able to touch my toes in a forward bend -> I can now rest my head comfortably on my knees.
- I wasn’t able to hold the Plank Pose for 10 seconds -> I can now hold it for 3 minutes, nearly 20 times longer.
- The thought of doing a headstand was a distant dream, maybe in a future life -> I can now do a Headstand at will, literally with my eyes closed.
There are more important benefits that yoga has given me, including:
HEALTH AND IMMUNITY
There was a time when I used to fall ill regularly, catching flu almost every winter and colds throughout the year. Today, my health and immunity levels are so high that I rarely fall ill and am not taking any medication. Yoga has even helped me to overcome a mild form of asthma that I suffered from about 10 years ago.
YOUNGER NOW THAN AT 40
Our bodies are biologically designed to peak when we are in our 20s, after which there is a gradual decline. So, one way we can say someone is ageing is by observing a reduction in their capabilities. In other words, we are able to do less as we get older. But what if we can do more now than we could before? Doesn’t that mean we are effectively getting younger? And that is exactly what my experience has been: I am stronger, fitter and more mobile now than I was at the age of 40. That means, yoga has not only slowed down my ageing process, it has actually reversed it!
INNER TRANSFORMATION AND RESILIENCE
The ancient yogis were experts at understanding the spiritual laws that govern our universe. According to them, the Earth is a school and we are all here to learn. They were also masters at figuring out how our minds work and realised that we can take control over our lives by taking control over our minds.
I have applied this ancient wisdom to help overcome negative emotions, such as anger. For example, whenever something ‘bad’ happens, instead of thinking, “Why me? What have I done to deserve this? Life’s so unfair!”, I instead ask myself, “What can I learn from this experience?”.
There are underlying concepts at work here, such as the Law of Karma, which are very deep. I don’t wish to trivialise them, but just wanted to share with you that one of the most powerful benefits of yoga is its ability to change us from the inside.
BACK PAIN
Crippling back pain was like an unwelcome acquaintance that used to visit me every few months. Thankfully, that is just a distant memory now. Yoga has lots of postures that strengthen the back muscles and increase mobility in the spine. Like me, you too can look forward to waving goodbye to back pain!
ME AS A YOGA TEACHER
When you discover something wonderful, even something simple like a new dish, you want to share the joy and tell everyone about it, right? Well, that’s exactly how Miti and I felt about yoga. The more we benefitted from this amazingly broad and deep subject, the more we wanted to share its gifts.
Therefore we began training to become yoga teachers in 2007, and started teaching upon receiving our first qualification in 2009. Please see above for details.
Yoga has taught me that we are all far more capable than we realise. But we have to venture outside our comfort zone to discover just how great we can be. Someone once said, “A ship is safe in the harbour. But that’s not what ships are built for!”. That’s the attitude I encourage my students to take. I will work with you and together we will get you to achieve more than you ever dreamed possible.
I also strongly believe that direction is more important than speed. It is never too late to take a step in the right direction. As a wise Chinese philosopher said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Take that step now onto the path of yoga with us and join the millions who have discovered this precious gift.
Namaste.